Anheuser-Busch to Acquire Los Angeles Craft Brewery

Anheuser-Busch to Acquire Los Angeles Craft Brewery

ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch is adding Golden Road Brewing to its portfolio in a move that boosts its craft beer presence.

The partnership is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"The energy and passion of the beer community is what drew me into this industry and with Golden Road we wanted to help develop the craft beer market in L.A.," said Meg Gill, president and co-founder at Golden Road Brewing. "Our team worked hard to build Golden Road from the ground up and we are proud of the growth we've achieved in such a short time. California is an exciting and competitive market for beer and I see endless opportunities in partnering with Anheuser-Busch and their incredible distribution network to bring our beers to more people."

As the largest craft brewery in Los Angeles County, Golden Road expects to sell approximately 45,000 barrels of beer in 2015 and can be found in more than 4,000 retail locations.

Its core brands — Point the Way IPA, Wolf Among Weeds IPA, Golden Road Hefeweizen and 329 Days of Sun Lager — represent 95 percent of volume.

"Golden Road's commitment to making great beer, its pioneering spirit and the passionate beer culture built within the company is what appealed to us," said Andy Goeler, CEO, Craft, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch. "Its focus on giving back to the community and impact on the Los Angeles craft market in four short years makes Golden Road a strong addition to our craft portfolio."

Golden Road Brewing will join Goose Island Beer Co., Blue Point Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing and Elysian Brewing as part of Anheuser-Busch's High End Business Unit's portfolio.

Golden Road Brewing was founded in 2011 by Meg Gill and Tony Yanow founded Los Angeles, The brewery currently distributes its beer in California, Nevada and Arizona.

Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 16 local breweries, 17 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the United States, representing a capital investment of more than $15.9 billion. It's best known for its American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, and the company's beers combined hold 46.4 percent share of the U.S. beer market.